Managing a family can be a stressful situation. Dealing with car trouble can present its own share of woes as well. Knowing this, it’s clear to see that crashing the family car can add a significant level of stress for anyone. The family car is the portal used to transport everyone to work, school, doctor’s appointments and recitals. A family without a car is almost unheard of in 2017.
However, no family goes through life without any trouble or catastrophe. The most important thing to remember is that the family can make it through anything. As long as you keep a sense of calm and mental sanity through it all, a crashed family car won’t be able to keep you and your family down for long. In order to handle this stressful event successfully, it’s important to do a few things.
Make Sure Everyone is Safe
Car crashes are scary because someone can get hurt or even die. If you’ve found yourself or your family in a car crash, the first thing you need to do is make sure that everyone is safe. Depending on the severity of the accident, you might need to get creative with how you reach out to everyone.
If you’re pinned down, you’ll want to call out loudly to make sure your family members can hear you. If everyone is safe and mobile in your car, you’ll want to reach out to those in the accident and make sure they’re alright as well.
If anyone is feeling pain from the accident, it’s wise to call 911 for medical assistance. Once you call 911, they’ll usually send police to the scene as well. The police officers will be able to help you navigate through the scene and proper protocol.
Collect the Necessary Information
Using the correct protocol, the police will normally guide you and the other people involved in the accident. With a car crash, it’s important to collect the right information. It’s customary to exchange contact information such as name, phone numbers and email addresses. It’s also good to have insurance information available as well. Depending on the tone of the accident, it might be wise to have the information for your attorney available as well.
Contact Your Insurance Company
While you should always maintain a comprehensive understanding of what your insurance policy covers, it’s easy to get flustered and forgetful during highly stressful times. Thankfully, you can always contact your insurance company and get the information from the source. You’ll want to find out how much your insurance covers. Depending on whose fault the accident was, you may not have to deal with any expenses. It’s also wise to make sure you keep track of your conversations and any paperwork.
Get the Car Repaired or Replaced
It’s very difficult to have an active family and not having a means of transportation. In this case, it’s best to get to the car repair shop as soon as possible. Furthermore, you don’t just want to go to any auto body shop. It’s best to find a licensed professional in auto body repair in Park City or elsewhere that specializes in collision-related accidents. Now, if the car is totaled, there’s really not much anyone can do and you’ll need to get a new car. However, if the car is able to be salvaged, the right repairman will restore your car to new car status.
While this process may feel overwhelming and difficult to muddle through, make sure to take your time and breathe through it all. Understand that it’s a temporary situation and everything will get worked out in due time. As long as you do your best to keep a level head and work through each of these steps, your car woes will become a thing of the past.